Are You Making Your Child Not Want To Get Married?

11 Jan Are You Making Your Child Not Want To Get Married?

I have become increasingly alarmed by frequent comments I hear from young male adults and teenagers as they express fear about the thought of taking on the responsibilities of marriage and children. What has been most surprising is that most of these young men come from conservative, family-focused homes. As I pry deeper to understand the motive behind the concerns, I find their anxiety is usually based on divorce statistics and firsthand experience watching marriages unfold around them. There also seems to be heightened fear associated with the current economic climate and ability to financially support a wife and children.

After hearing their concerns and experiences, it is not difficult to feel their anxiety and understand from their limited view why they feel the way they do. In today’s world, much of the news focuses on affairs and divorces, and of course, the global financial collapse. It is easy for any of us to start becoming discouraged by the statistics and news.

So, is the story all doom and gloom? No! A study by the Department of Health and Human Services found:

So, what can you and I do? Perhaps our new year’s resolution can be to become aware of how we discuss marriage and budgeting with our children. Perhaps this year we put effort into having positive discussions with our children about marriage and the influence marriage can have on individuals, families, and society. In these conversations we can help our children identify successful marriages and how they have impacted others. When we discuss financial concerns, perhaps we speak about the issues in a realistic – yet instructive matter and not in a discouraging and fateful manner.

Perhaps – we start with changing our own attitudes and making sure that our words and example reflect our positive feelings about marriage and children. Perhaps – we are the agent of change when it comes to their feelings about marriage. Let’s start now!

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1Comment

I especially liked the idea to “help our children identify successful marriages and how they have impacted others.” One example is to point out to your kids things you admire about how other couples relate to each other, and how you want to emulate it. That way, the teens not only see a good example, but they also realize that as an adult you never stop learning how to be a betters spouse.